Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1887-06-17
THE CONVICT'S DAUGHTER

l. L
In the year 1856 John Harlow
started for San Francisco, Cal on a
tour of recreation from q long course
of legal study. Nothing Of special
note occurred to relieve the tedious,
ness of his journey, he arrived at his
destination much shattered and fa-
tigued. Immediate rest was needed,
so he sought q boarding house in a
dull, quiet part of the city, and for
some days enjoyed the seclusion and
rest he so much stood in need of. His
meals were brought to his room, and
therefore he had no opportunity to
make the acquaintance of his fellow
boarders. The house was run by a
matronly. looking woman named
Wentworth, whose only weakness
seemed to be her voluble tongue
However, she atoned somewhat for
this in the excellent quality of her
menu, and as this is the paramount
object sought for in boarding house,
whatever foibles she possessed in the
eyes of her tenants were graciously
overlooked
Her daughter, a comely young girl
of seventeen years, assisted her in the
household duties and in the evening
usually entertained the house with
pleasing music on the piano. One
evening as Harlow was enjoying q
fragrant Havana in his room, and
moving retrospectively over old
scenes and faces, the soft plaintive
strains of delicate but musical voice
seemed to emanate from the parlor
below. There was something un'
natural in the tone of the voice that
told him he had never heard it there
before. The air spoke volumes oi
sadness and breathed such pathos and
distress that he turned involuntarily
in his chair, and noticing in the mir,
ror at the other side of the room what
a change it had wrought in his fea'
lures, he jumped up suddenly and
was about to shut out the voice from
his hearing, when it suddenly stop
ped. The music had piqued his curl
osity. He would know the owner OF
that voice.
The chatting of two women below
told him that some lady friend Of
Bertha-Mrs. Wentworth's daughter
was probably paying her q friendly
visit. He dressed himself hastily and
repaired to the parlor, where, under
the pretext of wishing to be called
early in the morning, he had the op
portunity of seeing Bertha. She
seemed pleased to be of service te
him. The Rubicon passed, he was
soon engaged in delectable converse
ton with Cora Lane, to whom he
had been introduced by Bertha.
Of all fair faces he had ever seer
hers was the fairest There was ar
air of melancholy suffusing the entire
features that seemed in keeping with
the sad blue eyes the expression o.
which completely charmed him
Someting indefnable in her sweet
gentle manner, felt its way deeply
into his breast and caused it to bea'
with rapture. He could have sat fol
hours and contemplated her lovely
face, so great was his infatuation.
That night as he lay on his couch
with the picture of the fair face en-
crossing his every thought, he felt
he knew, that Cora Lane was The
only woman he would ever love. 1t
was late the next morning when be
arose, despite the fact that Bertha
had done his bidding.
His first impulse was to rush td
her and learn all she knew about
Cora, but better judgment prevailed
He concluded to ascertain through
quiet inquiries all he could about bis
new found love. Bertha, however
anticipated him. She saw, with O
woman's quickDess, the profound ad
miration on his visage as he sat gaz
ing at her friend the night previous
and intuitively surmising that he
wished to know something of hel
friend, told him of her own accord al
that she knew.
Cora was employed as a saleslady
in a millinery establishment She
was twenty years old, was supposed
to be on orphan, and came originally
from the East"
This was all Bertha knew Of hel
although she dwelt eloquently on hel
amiable manners and goodness o
heart.
Every night for two weeks Harlow
saw his love safely home, but not a:
an escort. He could not nerve him
self to meet those great blue eyes
for he felt that the venture woul(
lead him to passionate avowal o
the love that was surging against hi!
heart like vast billow. No, he mus
strive to beat down the vehement at
tachment that was almost consuming
him and let time shape his fortunes
Harlow had passed two evening.
at the house Of Cora, and each tim,
he set his eyes on her, some newborn
charm revealed itself 10 his enamoret
vision. A certain air of constant re
serve in her demeanor awed down al
efforts on his part TO divulge the die
tates of his heart. If the mellow
gaze that wreathed her face at tim
conveyed to his mind the looks of re
ciprocal affection. It's relaxation int,
a moody, apathetic stare dispelled tn
felicitous thought Still, his manne
and conversation appeared to pleas
and entertain her, and at times sh
grew eloquent in her responses.
One gentle moonlight evening
when the stars studded tho vauIte,
heavens with unwonted brillianc,
and bracing breezes stole softl
through the trees and flowers, bring
ing with them the inyigorating infu
ences of balmy evening in May
| Harlow unbosomed his heart to bel